Mark Leggatt
Mark Leggatt – Editor
Mark is a manuscript assessor, editor and author who’s twice topped Blackwell’s bestseller list.
He began his writing career taking advice and receiving manuscript assessments by professionals on his own debut novel, so he knows what it takes to become published and secure an agent.
He’s the author of five books and an Associate Editor for Fledgling Press. Mark has produced detailed editorial reports, manuscript assessments and submission reviews for clients in the UK, EU and North America. He also provides expert advice on submission packs, and how to grab the reader from the first page of your novel.
As an author, he is represented by literary agent Jon Wood at RCW.
Genres Mark specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Science Fiction |
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Fantasy |
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Comic/Satire |
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Paranormal |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Mark’s published books
Names of the Dead: (Connor Montrose Series)
Connor Montrose is running for his life. All that he held dear has been ripped away. Every Western intelligence agency and all the police forces of Europe are looking for him, with orders to shoot on sight. The only man who can prove his innocence, is the man that most wants him dead. Only one woman, a Mossad sleeper in Paris, will stand by his side.With her help, he must now turn and fight.
The London Cage: (Connor Montrose Series)
The Silk Road (Connor Montrose Series)Testimonials
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Morwenna Loughman
Morwenna Loughman – Editor
Morwenna has nearly a decade’s experience as a commissioning editor at HarperCollins and Penguin Random House.
Morwenna’s worked with globally bestselling and award-winning authors such as Hilary Mantel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Brené Brown, Marie Kondo, Tim Ferriss, Edward de Bono, Nigel Slater and Max Hastings.
Her focus is predominantly on non-fiction – ranging across personal development, memoir, business and cookery to psychology and true-crime – as well as some literary fiction, thrown in for good measure. Morwenna is also a literary agent and regularly participates in ‘Agent’s Table’ discussions, giving one-to-one manuscript feedback to authors.
Genres Morwenna specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Comic/Satire |
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Historical |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Young Adult |
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Plays and screen scripts |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Client successes
Testimonials
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Jane Struthers
Jane Struthers – Editor
Jane Struthers has been writing books since her teens and ghosted her first book for A Very Famous Person in her twenties.
Jane first made it into print under her own name in 1990 and since then has written over 30 non-fiction books that have been published by Ebury Press, Godsfield Press and Watkins Books, among others. Her book on the British countryside, Red Sky at Night, was named a Hatchards Book of the Year in 2010. As well as writing on a wide variety of general topics, Jane specializes in Mind, Body, Spirit subjects, including astrology, tarot, palmistry and healing. Jane recently trained as a homeopath but has yet to write about it. She is a non-fiction editor as well as a writer, so understands books from both sides of the writing process. Her books include Beside the Seaside, The Book of Christmas, The Palmistry Bible, The Psychic’s Bible, Attracting Abundance, The Wisdom of Trees Oracle and Moonpower.
Genres Jane specialises in
Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Jane’s published books
Moonpower: How to Work with the Signs of the Moon and Plan Your Timing for Every Major Decision
The moon doesn’t just affect the tides – it also affects every living organism, our moods and our decision-making. Whether you want to make a good impression at an interview, start a new business, get married, try for a baby, buy a property, go on a diet, sow seeds or harvest crops, matching the right action to the appropriate lunar phase will ensure the best results. And this book shows you how.
There are auspicious days for all big decisions, according to their nature. Whatever your needs and desires, never underestimate the help you can receive from the power of the moon!
Beside the Seaside: A Celebration of the Place We Like to Be 
The Book of Christmas: Everything We Once Knew and Loved about Christmastime
Red Sky at Night: The Book of Lost Country WisdomView more editors
Stuart Walton
Stuart Walton – Editor
Stuart Walton is an established writer and editor who has had fifteen books published, and has been a senior writer and inspector on the Good Food Guide for thirty years.
Stuart Walton is a writer and editor who has had fifteen books published. These range from a history of intoxicants, Out of It (now in its second edition), to critical studies of the emotions and the five senses, as well as a debut novel, The First Day in Paradise (2016). His next work is an inquiry into mayhem and disorder, An Excursion into Chaos, due from Bloomsbury in 2021. He has been translated into twelve languages.
As well as being a prolific book critic for, among others, the TLS, the London Magazine, the LA Review of Books and Review 31, Stuart is a Royal Literary Fund Tutorial Fellow at Plymouth University. In his early career, he wrote on food and wine, co-edited the Hachette Wine Guide and has been a senior writer and inspector on the Good Food Guide for thirty years. He was educated at Manchester University and Lincoln College, Oxford, and holds the Oxford Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing.
Genres Stuart specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Non-Fiction:
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Stuart’s published books
Intoxicology: A Cultural History of Drink and Drugs
Intoxicology is an addictive investigation into the history and culture of Narcotica – from the everyday use of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco to the illicit realm of opiates, amphetamines, and hallucinogens. The book is a witty and provocative look at why intoxication has always been a part of the human experience – from our earliest Stone Age rituals to the practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans, right on up through the Victorian era and ending with a flourish in modern times – and why the use of mind-altering substances is, and will continue to be, an essential part, however transgressive, of civilization.
The Devil’s Dinner: A Gastronomic and Cultural History of Chili Peppers
Neglected or Misunderstood: Introducing Theodor Adorno
The First Day in ParadiseView more editors
Julie Hoyle
Julie Hoyle – Editor
During a very successful teaching career spanning thirty-four years, Julie enhanced her editing skills while assisting students in reaching their goals before entering the publishing world.
Her copy-editing and proofreading experience in publishing is wide and varied. She edits fiction in a broad range of genres from crime to romance, from fantasy to comedy, short stories, poetry collections and children’s books She has worked on non-fiction texts and case studies in the areas of psychology, self-help and autobiographies. She has also worked on educational publications such as a new reading scheme, KS1, 2 and 3 maths workbooks, student planners and teaching posters.
Julie has written numerous book blurbs which have been complimented by the authors. She is a very conscientious worker, has a great eye for detail and always hits her deadlines.
Julie is married with a grown-up son. She is a keen Masters’ swimmer, competing in events all around the country and abroad.
Genres Julie specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Women’s |
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Romance & erotica |
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Science Fiction |
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Fantasy |
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Comic/Satire |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Picture books |
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Children’s |
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Young Adult |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Julie’s client successes
Scarcrow
Who killed Angus Hard and why? Doctor Jack Lantern and his evil alter ego, Scarcrow, will not rest until the truth is uncovered. But nothing is quite what it seems and this leads to a battle for his very soul as a familiar evil arises to confront him.
Sawson’s Quest
Variety – The Spice of Life
City CrimeTestimonials
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Edward Fenton
Edward Fenton – Editor
Edward Fenton has worked as a writer, publisher and editor for almost his entire career. He started out as a music journalist for NME, before getting his first job in publishing. His novel ‘Scorched Earth’ won the Sinclair Prize for Fiction, judged by a panel of former Booker judges.
He has written and/or researched over twenty radio documentaries, broadcast on BBC Radios 1, 3 and 4, and his documentary on Samuel Pepys’s love of music was described by the Independent on Sunday as ‘radio documentary at its best’. He has a particular interest in diaries, and in 1998 he set up an independent publishing company, Day Books. His editions of historical diaries have featured in the Books of the Year lists in the national press, chosen by writers including Iain Sinclair and Martin Amis. He co-wrote the libretto of an opera which had its London premiere at the BBC Proms: and he is currently a member of the Four Wordsmen, who regularly perform their work at a range of events and festivals.
Genres Edward specialises in
Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Edward’s published books
Scorched Earth
With an engaging lightness of touch and much humour this book tells the story of ten days in the lives of four unemployed young people sharing a flat in London. Chris tries to earn money selling postcards and taking foreigners on guided tours; Dan has a job in a ticket agency until he is sacked because of the recession; Sue calls at the Job centre every day but without results; and Rat-faced, well-intentioned but goofy, concentrates on growing his secret crop. The humour is compassionate yet critical and there is an underlying serious concern about the plight of the unemployed and their feelings of frustration and powerlessness in the face of a seemingly complacent Establishment.
The Diaries of John Dee
A Brief Jolly Change: The Diaries of Henry Peerless, 1891-1920
I Was Writing This Diary for You, SashaClient successes
‘Wild Ride to Freedom’ by William McLellan
When a wild night out in Barcelona in 1972 ends in a savage police beating and imprisonment without trial in the notorious Modelo jail, 22-year-old William’s dreams of becoming an artist lie in tatters.
Against all odds, his mind as broken as his body, William begins to find a way forward. The bars in the cell window are all too real, but so are the wisdom and kindness of his Zen cellmate. For the first time, he senses a way to be free — on the inside. He begins to face the demons of his past; the anger and nihilism that come from a childhood of poverty, violence and neglect. And he makes the first entries in the journal that changes his life forever. That journal became this book.
‘Kiera Hudson’ and various others by Tim O’RourkeView more editors
Wes Brown
Wes Brown – Editor
Wes Brown is a writer, editor and researcher with a background in the publishing industry and many years’ experience of teaching creative writing.
Wes was the founding editor of Dead Ink Books, young writer’s co-ordinator at the National Association of Writers in Education and has worked freelance for many literature organisations. He’s published novels, short stories, reviews and poems, and is currently writing an auto-fiction about his time as a pro-wrestler.
Wes has taught Creative Writing at the University of Kent, the University of East London and the City Lit and he’s also been awarded a CHASE PhD scholarship to research Narrative Non-Fiction. He is currently undertaking research at the University of East Anglia as part of a collaborative project investigating the future of literature and the written word.
Wes strongly believes in working with authors to achieve their own artistic ideals rather than project his own. Wes loves non-fiction narratives, memoirs, contemporary fiction and YA.
Genres Wes specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Young Adult |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Testimonials
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Liz Monument
Liz Monument – Editor
Liz Monument specialised in adult education and taught in the creative arts field for 22 years before becoming a full-time novelist and editor.
Liz writes all kinds of fiction, including SF, historical, and horror. She believes that the mechanics of fiction are identical whether you’re writing literary, genre, or hybrids, and that the same principles can be applied to improve a manuscript regardless of its subject matter or style. Liz’s debut novel was short-listed for Mslexia Magazine’s unpublished novel competition in 2013, becoming a talking book in 2014, and a paperback in 2015. Liz’s second novel ‘Iteration’, a composite SF story, was on the submissions list for the Arthur C Clarke Award, 2018. Her third novel, written for a PhD in Creative Writing, is a genre-bending fusion of dystopian, historical, SF and literary fiction.
Genres Liz specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Women’s |
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Romance & erotica |
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Science Fiction |
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Fantasy |
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Comic/Satire |
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Paranormal |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Children’s |
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Young Adult |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Liz’s published books
The Eternity Fund
When Jess Green is recruited by The Unit for her unusual abilities, she hopes she’s finally found safe haven. Unfortunately life in Department Thirteen (Crime Solutions) is anything but.
A sinister brotherhood are stealing human organs, and Jess and her uncooperative handler are put on the case. Their quest takes them into the lair of a rich philanthropist and his beautiful, brilliant daughter who together run The Eternity Fund, anti-aging as it’s never been known before.
Haunted by flashbacks and convinced that something within the organisation is dreadfully familiar, Jess finds herself recalling the shadows of her past, and wonders whether she will ever truly be free.
IterationTestimonials
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Alma Alexander
Alma Alexander – Editor
Alma Alexander is an internationally published novelist (14 languages in more than 20 countries), short story writer, and anthologist.
She has more than 30 years of experience in the publishing industry, as a writer and as both an in-house and freelance editor of fiction and non-fiction. She has taught at several writing workshops and conferences, including the Odyssey Writing Workshop in New Hampshire, USA, and has been nominated for or reached the finals of a number of literary awards (Endeavour Award, the Pushcart Prize, the World Fantasy Award, the Washington State Book Award)
She has had more than 20 novels published in this millennium, including “The Hidden Queen”/”Changer of Days” (high fantasy), “The Secrets of Jin-Shei”, “Embers of Heaven” and “Empress/” (historical fantasy), other standalone novels and story collections in a range of speculative fiction subgenres as well as contemporary literature, and several YA series (the Worldweavers series, the Were Chronicles). She is currently – and always – at work on several new projects.
Genres Alma specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Women’s |
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Science Fiction |
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Fantasy |
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Short stories & novellas |
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Young Adult |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Subject-led non-fiction |
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Alma’s published books
The Second Star
The Parada had been lost for almost two hundred years before they recovered the ship, drifting in stygian interstellar darkness, and brought her home again.
But that was not the miracle.
The Secrets of Jin-shei
Untranslatable
Worldweavers
RandomTestimonials
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Natasha Bell
Natasha Bell – Editor
Natasha is an author, PhD researcher and creative writing teacher. Her debut psychological thriller, His Perfect Wife, was published by Penguin in 2018 and her second novel, This Nowhere Place, is due out in early 2021.
She’s also published short stories, memoir and creative non-fiction.
Stylist labelled His Perfect Wife ‘2018’s most gripping psychological thriller,’ The Guardian called it ‘an astutely written, complex debut,’ and Publisher’s Weekly awarded it a starred review.
Natasha holds an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths and is currently working on a practice-led PhD in autofiction. She teaches introductory and novel-writing courses at City Lit, mentors for The Riff Raff, and previously worked as a sub-editor at The Press Association.
She loves narrative in all forms, but has a particular passion for psychological suspense, women’s fiction and stories that blur the line between truth and fiction.
She’s lived in the US and the UK, and currently resides in south-east London.
Genres Natasha specialises in
Fiction:
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Contemporary |
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Literary (including ‘bookclub’) |
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Crime / Thriller / Action |
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Women’s |
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Non-Fiction:
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Memoir/Autobiography |
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Other narrative non-fiction |
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Natasha’s published books
His Perfect Wife
Psychological thriller delving into themes of motherhood, marriage, gender and identity.
Alexandra Southwood has vanished. Her husband is beside himself and it isn’t long before the police are searching for a body. But Alexandra is alive and she’s no ordinary missing person. Neither, it seems, is she quite the perfect wife…
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